Opportunity or Regret
by Mecca24
Summary: Jongdae is presented with an opportunity of a lifetime but with the group still sensitive about Kris, Luhan and Tao leaving the group, the discussion about the opportunity doesn't go well. Will the team be able to get through this or will Jongdae's regret at giving up the opportunity leave a hole in their team?


**Author's Note: I want to apologise first because every member of EXO is out of character. There is conflict in this story and of course, Jongdae is at the centre of it. I will not apologise for that :D As with all my stories, the team works it out at the end. This is EXO after all and they are ONE! I am also well aware that this the entertainment industry is complicated and what I did in this story in probably impossible but it's my story so it can happen and it did :D I also made up the American celebrity. If you don't like Chanyeol or Baekhyun or any of the other members being unreasonable, then don't read. Thanks and enjoy!**

Kim Jongdae sat on his bed in the EXO apartment building. It was four in the morning and everyone was asleep. Kim Minseok slept soundly on his side of the room. Jongdae envied him. He hasn't been able to sleep well in the past two days. Not since the big blow up he had with the group two nights ago. He wished he never brought it up but their managers had offered him an amazing opportunity to collaborate with Punk in the USA. It meant he needed to head there for three months leaving EXO short one member for too long. He knew the managers would work it out, otherwise they wouldn't have offered him the opportunity. Jongdae unconsciously rubbed his side at a nagging pain there. It started in the morning but Jongdae was too stressed to give it much thought.

* * *

The day he received the offer, Jongdae asked Junmyeon if he could call for a meeting with the entire group. Everyone gathered in the living room. They were tired from practice and wanted to go to bed but Jongdae really wanted to get this out in the open and talk to the team before they heard from someone else. It was amazing how news got around within their company. It was like there were spies everywhere.

Jongdae regretted calling for the meeting as soon as he sat down and looked around at his brothers. They were exhausted and not in the best mood because practice didn't go smoothly for them. Everyone was a little off their game. His palms started sweating once everyone was seated and looking at him. He didn't know why he was nervous. These people were his friends but they were also people who've felt betrayal. It has been over a year since Tao left them but the leaving of the three Chinese members was still a sore point for them even though they understood why they did it. An opportunity to further into a solo career was tempting to any of them but it was the way they did it that hurt so much. Jongdae hoped that by being honest and open with them, they would understand. He wasn't leaving the group but to take up this offer meant he needed to take three months break from them.

"Jongdae! I'm tired! Can we start?" Baekhyun complained before shutting up when he saw how serious Jongdae was. He started to worry now. "What's wrong?"

Jongdae quickly shook his head and smiled at him. "Nothing. I just want to run something by all of you."

"Is this to do with that little meeting you had with the managers?" Minseok asked, trying to help Jongdae along. Jongdae has always been confident in his abilities and his confidence on variety shows have grown immensely, especially when he was here in his own country. However, there were times when his nerves got the better of him. This seemed to be one of those times.

"There's an opportunity for me to work in the U.S for three months…"

"You're leaving the group." Chanyeol immediately jumped to that conclusion which was what Jongdae was afraid of.

"No!" Jongdae denied, "But I'll have to take a break from our promotions and activities."

"That's what Tao said." Chanyeol argued.

"Chanyeol…" Junmyeon admonished, "Let him speak."

"It's a great opportunity for me and I…"

"For you, but what about EXO!" Baekhyun was tired and this was the last thing he expected this meeting to be about. The exhaustion was getting to all of them.

"It's a little selfish of you." Sehun said quietly. Jongdae was always thoughtful and kind. He never believed he would use selfish to describe his friend.

Jongdae's head spun at the word. "I'm selfish?"

"All you're thinking about is yourself, so yes…Sehun's right. Selfish is the word." Jongin backed up the youngest.

Jongdae never expected this to go the way it was. He looked at the older members, expecting some support from them but they didn't say a word. Not even Minseok. He got up. "Forget it. Clearly you don't agree so just forget I even brought it up." He got up and stormed up the stairs, not caring that he was acting like a kid who didn't get his way.

"Hey!" Chanyeol called, "You can't just walk away after saying you want to go solo!"

"That's not what I said!" Jongdae yelled back, angry and frustrated. The room went silent. He closed his eyes, annoyed with himself for losing his temper. "Just forget it." Jongdae told them, forcing himself to calm down. "Pretend this never happened." He continued back up the steps, disappointed.

Junmyeon waited until Jongdae was out of sight before talking again. "We should talk about this after a night's rest. We're all exhausted. It wasn't a good idea to call this meeting."

"Let's not." Baekhyun got up and gestured up the steps. "Our no. 1 vocalist said to forget about it. I think that's a good idea." He left for his room as well. Slowly, one by one the members returned to their room.

* * *

Minseok frowned when he walked into his room to find Jongdae packing an overnight bag. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to stay at the studio dorms. Hyunkyun hyung is picking me up." Jongdae zipped up the bag and swung it over his shoulder. "I'll see you at practice tomorrow." He tried to remain civilised. Minseok was his best friend but he couldn't stay in the room with him if he thought the same way as the others.

"We're all tired, Jongdae. Let us sleep on it." Minseok didn't like the idea of Jongdae being alone. "Stay."

Jongdae tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "Don't bother. Like I said; forget I said anything. It was stupid of me to think my friends would support me." He mentally punched himself for saying that out loud and to Minseok as well. He saw the hurt expression. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." Jongdae sighed, rubbing his eyes. "You're right. We're all tired. I'll see you tomorrow." With that he left Minseok feeling guilty.

* * *

As tired as Jongdae was, he couldn't sleep that night. The room was empty. He was used to having a roommate. He didn't realise until now that he fell asleep to Minseok's light breathing. It was total silence in this empty dorm room. He sighed. Being alone wasn't a good idea after all. He replayed the night in his mind, wincing at his outburst. It was one of his flaws. When he got angry, he couldn't control his temper and it often made matters worse. Jongdae let out a long breath. He would need to apologise in the morning. After finally coming to that decision, his mind eased a little and he fell asleep.

* * *

 **The next morning**

Because Jongdae was at the dorm, he was able to get to the company headquarters early. He wanted to let his managers know that he would not be taking the offer.

He sat in the chair opposite Youngjun manager. He felt like a little boy handing in a bad report card to his parents. "I'm really am thankful for the opportunity but I don't think it's a good time for me or the group. There are so many amazing Korean singers. Anyone of them deserve the opportunity before me."

"Jongdae," Youngjun sighed as he sat forward in his seat, leaning his forearms on the table. "It's called an opportunity of a lifetime for a reason. Some singers never come by an offer like this in their entire career. It's foolish of you to give this up when you are at such a good place in your career."

"But…"

"You're right." Youngjun interrupted him, "There are amazing singers out there but there are not many as internationally known as EXO. Punk's company chose you for a reason. He knows having a song with the name EXO attached to it will gain him popularity within Asia."

"Then why not the entire group?" Jongdae asked, maybe he could get this offer to everyone. The group would be ecstatic for the opportunity.

"The song he wants to produce is a slow rap. Your voice has the softness and strength he needs for singing part. The entire group would make it sound messy." Youngjun tried to make the young man see reason. "Think about it some more, Jongdae. We still have time to reply."

Jongdae sighed, he had hoped to have everything resolved so that he didn't have to think about it anymore. "Yes, sir." Jongdae bowed and left the room.

Youngjun shook his head. He didn't understand young idols now days. Maybe he should talk to the whole group and they can convince Jongdae to take the offer. As the manager and as SM Entertainment owned EXO, he could tell Jongdae he didn't have a choice but this group was the best he'd ever worked with. He didn't want to disturb their momentum. The biggest reason why EXO was so big was that they truly are the nicest group of idols around. He'd have a talk with everyone the first chance he got.

* * *

Jongdae got out of the lift coming from the top floor, just as the members of EXO exited the lift from the basement. He stopped as they stepped up to him. He looked around nervously, unsure of what they were going to do. Minseok pushed past everyone when nobody spoke. "Jongdae! How was your sleep? I need you back home. I couldn't sleep a wink last night." He threw his arm around his shoulders and lead him away from the others. He didn't say anything but the others were talking about Jongdae during breakfast. They still weren't happy with him. He didn't want Jongdae to have to deal with them alone.

Jongdae smiled at his eldest friend. "Thanks, hyung."

Minseok grinned at him. "So, does that mean you'll come home with us tonight?"

Jongdae nodded, "I couldn't sleep either."

"Yes!" Minseok pumped his fist, making Jongdae laughed. Minseok acted and looked like their youngest.

* * *

Practice went smoothly but when it was time for them to take a break, everyone, save for Minseok, Yixing and Junmyeon moved to sit away from Jongdae. Even Kyungsoo wouldn't talk to him when he tried to start a conversation about his new movie. Jongdae wanted to apologise but nobody would talk to him. It was almost as if he didn't exist to them. Jongdae didn't understand. Why were others allowed to pursue other paths but he was not allowed the chance to further his singing career? Why was he being selfish while others were branching out? Junmyeon and Yixing gave his shoulder a squeeze, telling him to be patient with them before joining the younger members. Why did he have to be patient and what were their opinions? There was so much he wanted to ask them but he didn't want to lose his temper again.

Minseok nudged his head towards to the door. "Want to get a meal at the cafeteria?"

Jongdae smiled but shook his head, "I'm not hungry." Truth was, he felt a little off.

"You should eat something." Minseok worried. "Our practice is demanding. You need energy to keep up."

Jongdae nodded, "I'll eat something later."

"You know they'll realise what idiots they're being and then start grovelling right?" Minseok grinned at him, making him laugh. "You're still coming home tonight? I really can't sleep without you in the room." Jongdae chuckled and nodded, promising that he would go home with them.

* * *

The next day was the same and Minseok was getting worried. Jongdae looked like he had lost a couple of kilos in just those days alone. He could see the vocalist trying to make the effort but he could also see he was troubled by something as well. He tried to get Jongdae to talk to him about it but his friend only told him not to worry.

That morning Jongdae woke up to a dull pain in his right side. He didn't think anything of it as it was only uncomfortable. He ignored it and went to Youngjun tell him that he would not take the offer. He didn't say why, only that it didn't feel right. In response, Youngjun handed him a music sheet with lyrics. He also gave him a USB and asked him to listen to the song. He waited for Minseok to fall asleep at night before turning on his computer to listen to the song. Tears came to his eyes as he listened to the music and read the Korean translation of the song. It sang of a singer working hard in a cruel industry and getting nowhere. It spoke of a singer growing older as he watched young singers who came after him soar to heights he could only dream of. It was a beautiful song that many in the industry, and even in others, could relate. _Opportunity._ That was the name of the song. He wanted to laugh at the irony of it all. It was like the song was mocking him. He was literally throwing away an opportunity. Jongdae listened to the song repeatedly until he fell asleep with it still playing on a loop.

* * *

Minseok woke up to find Jongdae still asleep with one earphone in his ear. The other one was hanging over the side of the bed. On the floor was a piece of paper. Minseok picked it up. It was lyrics with Korean translations. He could hear music coming from the earphone. Curiously, he brought the ear phone to his ear. He smiled at the English song. It sounded good and wondered who had wrote it. He looked back down at the lyric sheet and read the name of the song writer. _Punk._ Minseok's eyes widened and started piecing together the puzzle. Jongdae was presented an opportunity to work in the U.S.A and now he was listening to a song he'd never heard of. Was Jongdae offered a chance to work with Punk? If so, why didn't he say anything? He knew the answer as soon as he asked himself. Jongdae was never given the chance to tell them anything about it because they had all jumped to the conclusion that he wanted to leave the group.

Minseok jumped and let go of the earphone when he saw that Jongdae was waking up. He put the paper on Jongdae's bedside table and feigned that he had just woken up. He yawned and smiled at Jongdae when he opened his eyes. "What are you listening to?" He asked as he stretched.

Jongdae frowned and pulled out his earphone, not realising it was still on. He stretched on his bed before sitting up. "Just some old songs." He lied as he shut his computer and moved it to the end of his bed.

Minseok nodded, letting the lie slide. "Let's go wash up and get breakfast."

* * *

When they arrived at the company, Jongdae told Minseok he needed to see their manager and would meet them in the practice room. "Probably going to tell him he's ready to go solo." Chanyeol mumbled. Minseok stomped on his foot hard just as the lift came to a stop at their floor. "OW! I need my foot to dance!" Chanyeol complained as he hopped out of the lift. Jongdae couldn't help but laugh. Minseok gave him a cheeky smile and pat on the back before walking out of the lift after a still complaining Chanyeol. Jongdae was thankful for Minseok. He wasn't sure he would be able to get through the past few days without him. Jongdae rested his head against the lift wall. The pain in the side hadn't gone away but because he was so stressed with everything that was going on, he kept ignored it.

Jongdae sighed before knocking on the manager's door. Youngjun knew the answer as soon as Jongdae walked in. "Really? Even after listening to the song, you're going to turn it down."

Jongdae nodded, he was on the verge of tears. "It's a beautiful song. I hope you can find someone who will do it justice because I can't."

"You won't get another chance like this." Youngjun warned. Jongdae nodded, exhausted. No, not exhausted. Fatigued. "Have you slept in the past few days?" Youngjun worried. Jongdae nodded. "You look ready to collapse."

Jongdae smiled at his manager's concern. "I haven't had my coffee." He absently rubbed his side.

Youngjun didn't like what he was seeing but he didn't want to push the boy any more than he already has. "Go get your coffee."

"Yes Sir."

* * *

Jongdae let out a long breath. Finally, it was over. It was a relief but he knew he had given up an offer of a life time. As an idol hoping to gain status as an artist, he'd probably just given up his dream. Was it worth it? He couldn't answer it because so far, this situation has only proven to him that their group wasn't as strong as he thought. Their friendship wasn't as strong as he thought. He shook himself and remembered his philosophy. _Own my decisions and don't regret the ones made._ It was his choice to give it up. He couldn't blame anyone else…

* * *

Minseok slammed to door of the studio shut. He was angry and wanted everyone to know. They watched him as he walked to the doors and locked each one. Minseok wanted some privacy. He needed to knock some sense into his teammates. "What are you going to do, hyung? Step on all our feet?" Chanyeol complained, his foot still sore.

"I should kick you all in the head for the way you've been treating Jongdae." Minseok hissed at them as he sat down.

"Why are you angry at us? He's the one who wants to leave?" Baekhyun defended all of them.

Junmyeon sighed. He hadn't been doing a good job as a leader. He had hoped the situation would resolve itself. He didn't try to talk to anyone because maybe he agreed with the others. Jongdae was trying to leave. It looked like he was wrong. "What do you know, hyung?" He asked, shutting them all up.

"Jongdae told us he was given an opportunity to work in the U.S." Minseok reminded them, "But he didn't tell us anything else." Junmyeon nodded for all of them. "Do you know who he would be working with?"

Yixing frowned, not recalling and then remembered why. "We didn't give him the chance to tell us." He admitted their error. "Do you know who it is?"

Minseok nodded, "I'm not one hundred percent sure but I heard a demo he was listening to. The song was written by Punk."

Gasped went around the entire room. Their eyes widened at the name. They couldn't believe one of them was given the chance to work with Punk. "Are you serious?" Baekhyun didn't know if he should be excited at the news or horrified at how he reacted to Jongdae.

"That's my guess anyway and the song was amazing." Minseok told them. "But judging by the look on his face today, I think he's gone up there to turn it down."

"No!" Chanyeol shot to his feet. "He can't! He'll never get a chance like that again!"

"Why would he?!" Baekhyun seconded.

"Nobody is stupid enough to turn that down." Sehun added, shocked. "He has to take it!"

"Did he tell you that?" Kyungsoo asked, praying Minseok was wrong.

"No, he hasn't talked to me about it. And he'll never bring it up with any of you again." Minseok glared at them all. "If he turns it down it's because of our reaction that day." He included himself in that because he didn't react any better than any of them when Jongdae told them. They all went silent. Minseok was right. Jongdae could be throwing away this one chance because of their own impulsiveness. "He wasn't telling us that day. He was asking for our opinion. He was hoping for our blessings." Minseok looked at the two youngest. "He wasn't being selfish." Sehun turned away, unable to meet the eldest's eyes. "It's one song and it's a good one. He wasn't leaving EXO. In fact, if he did this, it would only make us even more successful globally."

Chanyeol pulled at his hair and screamed. "This is my fault! If I didn't jump to conclusions then we would've talked it through and he would've told us what the offer was!"

"It's my fault as well." Baekhyun said, deflated. "I came to the same conclusion. You just reacted faster than me."

"It's all our faults." Jongin rubbed Sehun's shoulder, who was on the verge of crying. "We should've known better. Jongdae would never do what the others did."

"I wasn't doing my job as a leader."

"And I didn't help by staying silent." Yixing sighed. "What can we do now?"

Chanyeol's eyes widened, "Maybe he hasn't told our manager yet." He ran to the door. "Maybe we can stop him." He unlocked the door and almost ran right into Jongdae. He froze at Jongdae's pale face. "Jongdae." He gasped as he stepped back. Everyone stood at the name.

Jongdae frowned at him as he stepped around the tall rapper. He had a hand against his right side, wincing. Everyone was looking at him. "What's going on? Since when did I become visible again?" He was surprised at the words that came out of his mouth. He guessed he was angry after all. So much for not blaming anyone. He looked at Minseok. "What's wrong with them?"

They looked at one another, waiting for someone to talk but nobody did. Maybe it was the anger they were sensing from Jongdae. Junmyeon was about to speak for them when Jongdae hissed suddenly at the sharp pain in his side. "Jongdae?" He could see that his friend was in pain. "What's…"

"Ah!" The group jolted at Jongdae's cry, watching him drop to his knees in pain.

"Jongdae!" They ran up to him.

"What's wrong?" Minseok lifted Jongdae's head as he gasped for breath through the pain. "Jongdae, tell me what's wrong?"

Jongdae shook his head. He didn't know what was wrong. Yixing felt his forehead. "He's burning up."

Junmyeon shoved Sehun towards the door. "Get the manager." He ordered as he pulled out his phone to call for an ambulance.

Jongdae let himself fall against Minseok, no longer having the energy to hold himself up. The pain got worse every minute. He groaned against his best friend. Minseok wrapped his arms around him. "You'll be okay. You'll be okay."

"What's wrong with him?" Baekhyun pulled down the sleeve of his hoodie and wiped at the sweat beading across his friend's forehead. He's never seen someone take such a sharp turn for the worse. However, he also knew, if they weren't ignoring him for the past few days they probably would've noticed something earlier.

"I don't know." Minseok hated this helpless feeling as Jongdae laid against him, tense with pain.

Junmyeon got off the phone. "How is he?"

"In a lot of pain." Minseok told him, wearily. "I'm sorry. I should've seen something was wrong."

"It's not your fault." Junmyeon gripped his shoulder. "Ambulance will be here soon."

Minseok pulled Jongdae tighter against him when his friend started to tremble. He felt his friend pull at his shirt as the pain grew. "Hy…ung…" Jongdae's voice shook, "It…hurts…" Minseok sighed at the submission.

The team looked in helplessly as their friend shook in Minseok's arm. Yixing took off his jacket and tucked it around Jongdae's shoulders. He knew it wasn't doing anything to help him, but he needed to do something…anything that could provide a least a fraction of comfort. There was nothing else to do but wait.

* * *

 **Hospital**

Acute appendicitis. That was the diagnosis. Jongdae was in surgery now. Laparoscopic surgery would be used because Youngjun requested it. It would leave a smaller scar and the recovery time was less that of open surgery. Kyungsoo sat down next to his manager in the private waiting room. "Have you turned down Punk's offer yet?" He asked him. Kyungsoo was very practical. They were doing nothing anyway so why not make the most of this time and do something for Jongdae. Everyone heard the question and turned to them, wanting to know the answer.

Youngjun shook his head. "I was about to call him when Sehun came in looking like he was about to be sick."

"How long will he hold the offer for?" Junmyeon asked.

"So Jongdae did talk to you all about it?" Youngjun stood from his seat, folding his arms, looking unimpressed. "I thought he didn't tell you because there was no way you would let him turn down such an opportunity." No one answered him. "Am I wrong?"

"If we knew he was going to the U.S to work with Punk, we wouldn't let him turn it down." Yixing spoke for them because he knew it was true.

"Then why didn't he take it?" Youngjun was very confused now.

"Because…" Baekhyun was too ashamed of himself to answer.

"Because I thought he was trying to leave the group like Kris and the others. He didn't get as far as to tell us who he would be working with." Chanyeol admitted. It was his initial reaction that caused all this. "I'm sorry."

Youngjun sighed, "You all thought this?" Everyone hung their heads. "Well, maybe this appendicitis is a blessing in disguise." Everyone's head shot back up, hopeful. "I can use it as an excuse to get an extension on the offer."

"Will it work?"

"Maybe. They really want Chen because of his voice and his connection to EXO." Youngjun looked thoughtful. "I'm heading back to the office to see what I can do. Call me when the doctor comes out."

They all bowed to him as he walked away.

Sehun walked up to a wall and banged his head against it. Jongin dropped back in his seat. Yixing stood still, with his hands in his pocket, looking at his feet. Baekhyun ran his hands through his hair before sighing up at the ceiling. Kyungsoo leaned forward, burying his head in his arms. Junmyeon had no idea how to help his friends because he felt the same way. Minseok was too angry at everyone to even talk. It was silent in the room until Chanyeol walked up to a trashcan and kicked in hard. "This is my fault!" He kicked the bin again and again, letting out his frustrations into it.

"Chanyeol!" Baekhyun pulled him off it and dropped him into a seat. "That's not helping." He turned to Sehun, "Neither is banging your head on the wall. We don't need another one of us in hospital."

Sehun turned around, leaning against the wall. "He gave up Punk for us." He shook his head. "You're right, Chanyeol. He's considerate to the point it's become stupidity."

"Exactly! The way we treated him, he should've just left us and gone solo!" Chanyeol was so full of anger right now, he felt like punching himself.

"There is no point blaming ourselves now." Yixing told them, being the voice of reason, "All we can do is see what our managers can come up with."

"Yixing's right. Our only concern is making sure he gets better." Junmyeon spoke up. It was time for him to be their leader again. Somehow, he will make sure Jongdae didn't miss this chance.

* * *

Everyone stood when the doctor walked into the room. He took off his mask and smiled at the worried faces of EXO. His daughters were big fans so he knew a lot about these boys. "Chen will be fine." He smiled, using Jongdae's stage name. Dr Park watched them all deflate with relief. It was as if they had been holding their breaths during the entire surgery and had only just let it out. "We did need to have an open surgery after all because his appendix ruptured during the procedure." Dr Park held out his hand to reassure them. "We removed the appendix and drained the infection. He will need to be on antibiotics for two weeks but other than that, nothing else has changed."

"Can we see him?" Minseok asked.

"He's in room 612. It may take another hour for him to wake up from the anaesthetics." Dr Park warned them.

"We just want to sit with him." Junmyeon told him. "He's our brother." He almost choked on the lump in his throat.

Dr Park nodded, impressed at these boys' loyalty to their teammate. It's no wonder his daughters were fanatics. "Go ahead to his room. I will come by to check on him when he wakes up." They bowed as the doctor left the room before bolting to the lifts.

* * *

Minseok brushed back Jongdae's hair as he stood at his side. This was the most peaceful he had seen his friend in a long time. If he ignored the IV in his left hand, he could pretend he was only sleeping. Minseok gripped Jongdae's hand in his. "I'm sorry. I should've seen that you weren't well. We were with each other almost all day, every day during this past week. How did I not see it?"

Yixing rubbed his shoulder, "It's not your fault."

Minseok stiffened at the hand on his shoulder. "Yes, it is." Yixing pulled his hand away at the angry tone. "If I wasn't so worried about all your feelings, I would've pushed Jongdae to talk. I didn't talk about it because I wanted it to go away. I was thinking about everyone else when I should've focused on him."

"Hyung, we know we were wrong." Junmyeon spoke for them all.

"I don't care. All I'm going to focus on is Jongdae and if I were all of you, I'd stay out of the way." Minseok shocked them. The eldest was usually the gentlest but today, he looked ready to fight them, as if he believed it would come to that.

"You can't expect us to stay away." Chanyeol gasped at the threat.

Minseok spun around, glaring at them but still keeping a hold of Jongdae's hand, "Why not? He didn't even exist in the past three days. How hard can it be?" He sighed at the guilt he saw and turned back to Jongdae. He knew he was being unfair but he couldn't stop his words. They didn't care about Jongdae's feelings then so why should he care about theirs now?

A groan from the bed pulled their attention. "Jongdae." Minseok leaned over, brushing his hand through his hair. "Hey."

Jongdae felt like a heavy fog covered him. He tried to open his eyes but his eyelids were so heavy. He heard his name called. It was Minseok. He sounded worried. Jongdae tried to open his eyes again. They fluttered open and the first person he saw was Minseok smiling at him. "Hy…" He grimaced at his dry throat.

"Here." Jongdae turned his head at the other voice. He frowned when he saw Baekhyun standing on the other side of him. He was holding a cup with a straw. There was something wrong with this scene but he ignored his curiosity to quench his thirst. "Better?" Baekhyun asked as he pulled away the straw.

Jongdae nodded. It was only when he turned back to Minseok that he saw everyone was standing around his bed. "What's going on?"

Minseok shook his head, "You had an appendectomy."

"A what?"

"You had appendicitis. The doctor performed emergency surgery." Junmyeon answered the confused man. "Don't worry. The main thing is you'll recover soon."

Jongdae closed his eyes. He was too tired to figure out what was going on. "Okay." He said before drifting off again.

Minseok sat down in the plastic chair and waited. "You can go back to the studio. I'll take care of Jongdae."

"Hyung." Junmyeon sighed, "I know you're angry but we're going to be here whether you like it or not."

"How about Jongdae? What happens if he doesn't want you here?" Minseok countered.

Junmyeon tried to rub away his stress, "We'll deal with it if it comes to that."

Minseok glared at them all before turning away and folding his arms. "Sure. Do whatever you want. Make him be the bad guy and kick you out. Why not? We've already made him give up Punk for us, what else can he do?"

"Hyung! Be reasonable!" Baekhyun hissed. "We feel bad enough as it is! Is this really going to help Jongdae? Right now, he needs to know that we're all here for him. I know we let him down but if we stay away he'd just think we've abandoned him."

 _Didn't you?_ Minseok wanted to reply but knew it would only make the situation worse. He was being protective of Jongdae now…maybe overly protective. "Do what you want but I'm not leaving his side."

Junmyeon sighed. He didn't want Minseok to burn himself out taking care of Jongdae, however, this was as far as any compromise was going to go. "We'll rotate and bring you food and a change of clothes."

* * *

Jongdae woke up again late in the afternoon. Minseok was asleep in the chair with his arms folded under his head. Jongdae smiled tiredly at his best friend. Minseok barely left his side since the 'talk' they had about going to the U.S. He sighed at the thought of the lost opportunity. He didn't like regretting his decisions but he couldn't help it this time. In the end, it was his choice and he wanted to own it. There was never a time when Jongdae didn't take responsibility for his own choices or actions. He didn't want this to be his first. He couldn't blame anyone but himself for missing this chance.

A sharp pull at his right side made him hiss in shock. He'd forgotten why he was in the hospital. He closed his eyes as reached for his side and was surprised when he felt a hand close around his wrist. He opened his eyes to find Minseok awake and looking at him, unimpressed. "Hyung." He winced.

"You had open surgery there. I don't think it's a good idea for you to touch it." Minseok admonished.

"Sorry I woke you." Jongdae said sympathetically. He could see how tired and worried Minseok was. "You should go back to the apartment and sleep."

"And who's going to look after you if I do that?" Minseok countered. "You're not exactly the best at taking care of yourself."

"I take perfect care of myself." Jongdae argued.

"Really, because you're here right now."

Jongdae gave him an exasperated look. "I didn't ask for appendicitis."

"No, but you didn't tell anyone about the pain until it got unbearable."

Jongdae looked away sadly, "I had other things on my mind."

Minseok sighed, knowing Jongdae was thinking about the offer he had turned down. "You should've told me the offer was with Punk." Jongdae's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't told anyone who he would be working with and after turning it down he didn't want anyone to know. "You fell asleep listening to the demo. I had a listen before you woke up. It's a beautiful song." Jongdae nodded. "The whole team feels bad that you turned it down because of us." Jongdae gave a small smile and shrugged as if it was no big deal. "Youngjun manager said he would try to get the offer extended. He said he may be able to use your appendicitis as an excuse."

Jongdae wanted to be hopeful but he knew Hollywood labels wouldn't wait for a small Korean idol to recover. They could easily approach singers from other idol groups like BTS, if they haven't already. "It was my choice to turn it down."

"No, it wasn't." Minseok gripped his hand. "I'm sorry. I should've asked you about the offer." Again, Jongdae only shrugged. What's done is done. "We really want this for you."

"If it was meant to be then it will come around again." Jongdae said philosophically.

Minseok shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed so he could look Jongdae straight in the eye. "You're allowed to get angry. Hell, they got angry at you for wanting something for yourself, why can't you get angry at them for making you miss this chance?"

"I made the choice, hyung." Jongdae wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself or Minseok.

Minseok nodded, "I know, but you made that choice with our negative response in mind. If you saw how everyone reacted when I told them about Punk, you would never have turned it down and we wouldn't have let you."

Jongdae looked away, tired and wary of the topic. "Can we stop talking about it? I turned it down and I don't want to get my hopes up again. I know Manager Youngjun can work miracles but this is beyond him now."

"Jongdae…"

"Please, hyung!" Jongdae was begging now. "I want to forget about it. I want everyone to forget about it! Please don't bring it up again."

Minseok sighed and nodded. "Okay. We won't talk about it again." He gave Jongdae's hand a pat. "Did you need anything? The staff came in with dinner but you were asleep. Are you hungry?" Jongdae nodded gratefully. "Okay, I'll be right back."

* * *

Minseok was surprised when the stepped outside to find Yixing and Baekhyun at the door. He could tell by the looks on their faces that they heard enough of their conversation. He could see how bad they felt and as much as he wanted to stay angry at them he couldn't. They felt bad enough. "I'm going to get his dinner." Minseok said unnecessarily. "You can go in."

Yixing nodded to Minseok, thanking him for not getting angry. Minseok just gave him a pat on the shoulder and left for the cafeteria. Baekhyun took a breath, about to open the door when Yixing stopped him. "Don't bring up Punk. You heard him. He doesn't want to talk about it." Baekhyun sighed, not happy but nodded.

* * *

Jongdae had his eyes closed when he heard the door open again. He smiled without opening his eyes. "Did you forget something?"

Baekhyun took in the tired, pale face of his friend. The last few days have really taken a toll on Jongdae. There was so much he wanted to say but only two small words came out. "I'm sorry."

Jongdae frowned, opening his eyes, surprised at finding Yixing and Baekhyun at the end of the bed. He didn't know what to say to Baekhyun's apology. He couldn't tell if he was angry at them or frustrated at himself. Jongdae really wanted to take ownership of his decision to turn down the offer but upon seeing his friends, he realised he was still blaming them. He gripped the blanket in his hands, hating himself for feeling this way. _It's not their fault. It's not their fault._ Jongdae repeated it to himself until he was calm enough to talk. "What for? You didn't give me appendicitis." He tried to joke, hoping to take them away from the topic.

"I…"

Yixing put a hand on Baekhyun's arm, stopping him from talking. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt much?"

Jongdae was relieved that Yixing got his meaning. "It's not too bad."

"Doctor says you should be out of here in a couple of days."

"Mmmm…" Jongdae mumbled, "That sounds good."

Baekhyun worried at how tired Jongdae sounded. He knew it was normal. After all, he did just have surgery. It was more that he wasn't used to seeing Jongdae like this. He was always so happy… Usually, anyway. He hadn't been happy in days now. Baekhyun didn't realise how much he missed Jongdae's positive attitude and bright smile. "Get better soon. EXO needs its Morning Star." Baekhyun said, softly. The guilt he felt in his chest wouldn't go away. He wanted to tell Jongdae how sorry he was. He also knew Jongdae didn't want to hear another apology. It was why Yixing stopped him. Apologising did nothing for any of them. "We miss you."

Jongdae couldn't help but smirk at that. _I didn't go anywhere._ He thought to himself. _How can you miss someone who hasn't even left?_ Jongdae tried to cover the smirk with a smile but he could tell by their faces that it was too late. He wished they would leave. Keeping this mask on was hard. He was trying his hardest not to resent them. "Maybe if I'm lucky I can get out early. I'm pretty good at following the doctor's orders."

"Minseok hyung should be back with dinner soon. Do you need anything else?" Yixing asked him. "I can call Chanyeol to bring something from home if you want."

Baekhyun brought his backpack over to the side of Jongdae's bed. "We have your tablet and headphones."

Jongdae gave him a grateful smile, "Thanks. I was wondering how I would pass my time here when I'm on my own."

"Who said you'll be on your own? I don't think Minseok hyung will be leaving here and one of us plan to be here with you as well." Baekhyun told him, matter-of-factly, as if Jongdae should've known that.

Jongdae looked hesitant, "You don't have to do that."

"I'm not sure any of us can sleep if we know you're here alone." Yixing told him. He held out his phone to Jongdae. "Look at the messages I've been getting since I told the others we were here." Jongdae was surprised. It was an extremely unusual amount of text messages. "They're driving each other crazy at home."

"Tell them I'm okay." Jongdae shook his head at the needless worrying. "It's appendicitis. I didn't get hit by a truck."

"I don't think they will stop worrying until they each see you for themselves." Baekhyun said. "Anyway, it's not just appendicitis. It burst and that's why you're on antibiotics." There was a scenario Baekhyun couldn't get out of his head. What would've happened if Minseok hadn't talked sense into them? Would they have noticed how sick Jongdae was or would they be too late? It scared him to think their stubbornness and selfishness could've caused Jongdae's… Baekhyun quickly shook himself of the thought.

"Are you okay?" Jongdae asked. He couldn't help worrying about his friends, especially when Baekhyun paled in front of him.

Baekhyun was surprised. "Huh…um…" He scratched his head. "Um…yeah…I was just thinking. Don't worry about me. You're the one in the hospital bed."

"Which means I'm taken care of." Jongdae said, logically. "Don't make yourself sick because of me."

Baekhyun was about to change his answer. That he wasn't okay because of the way he treated his friend but Yixing spoke before he could answer. "Don't worry, we'll take care of each other. Anyway, once you're back home, we'll all be resting better." Yixing glared at Baekhyun, warning him to not say anymore.

"I wish you would stop worrying. I'm fine now." Jongdae's hand moved over the surgical site, "I barely feel it." The room went silent after that. Nobody knew what to say. It was rare for it to be awkward between the members. Usually they would talk about nonsense but no one was in the mood to joke. Jongdae fidgeted with his blanket. He didn't like the silence. "You don't have to stay. Hyung will be back soon."

"Hyung would kill us if he came back to find you alone." Yixing half-joked.

Jongdae gave a genuine smile. His big brother tended to get over protective when he got sick. "He worries too much."

Yixing smiled, "He does but he has his reasons this time." He could tell Jongdae was still feeling uncomfortable with them. "Why don't you close your eyes and rest? We can entertain ourselves."

Jongdae let out a sigh of relief and nodded, "Okay."

* * *

The door opened 15 minutes later. Minseok walked in with a bag from the cafeteria. "Doctor said you can't have anything too oily so I got you some clear noodle soup. Is that okay?" Jongdae opened his eyes. He hadn't fallen asleep but he was getting tired. Minseok winced, "Sorry, did I wake you?" Jongdae smiled and shook his head. Minseok looked at the other two in the room who were unusually quiet. It was obvious the atmosphere wasn't comfortable during the time Minseok was absent.

Yixing stood. "I just remembered Sehun wanted me to get him something from the shops. We better go before the shops close." He pointed to the backpack on the couch. "Those are your clothes and laptop." He told Minseok before pulling Baekhyun away from the bed who was clearly not happy about leaving. "Let's go. We'll see you soon."

Baekhyun tugged his arm from Yixing once they were out of the room. "What are you doing? I thought one of us was staying with them?" He asked, frustrated.

Yixing shook his head, "For someone who is a quick thinker, you're extremely dense these days."

"What are you talking about?"

"Jongdae's trying to not be angry with us." Yixing told his friend. "You know Jongdae. He doesn't want to blame us for losing the offer because he believes in taking responsibility of his own choices. Us being in there is just reminding him of his lost opportunity."

"Because of us!"

"No! Because he chose us! In the end, he didn't want to hurt the group, so he gave it up." Yixing tried to drill into Baekhyun. "At the least, that is the way Jongdae wants to look at it and we need to respect that. Minseok is right. We can't keep making him the bad guy. If you we keep reminding him of it, he will start resenting us. He doesn't want that any more than we do."

"So we keep letting him pretend the offer never existed. How healthy can that be for him?"

"At least until he's well enough to yell and scream at us without hurting himself." Yixing told him. He sighed at the guilt he could see reflecting in Baekhyun's eyes. "Let him heal physically before you try to heal him emotionally."

Baekhyun dropped back against the wall, defeated. "Youngjun hyung couldn't extend the deal." He said softly. They found that out just before they left for the hospital. Junmyeon told them not to tell Jongdae for now.

"There's nothing we can do about that." Yixing sighed, hating the feeling he got in the pit of his stomach when he was reminded of it.

"We slammed the brakes on his dream." Baekhyun wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself for destroying the one chance Jongdae had of making it solo internationally.

Yixing pulled him off the wall and guided him down towards the lift with his arm around his shoulders. "We put on the brakes. It's not broken down. Jongdae will start it again."

"I hope so." They walked away, their shoulders slumped.

* * *

Minseok watched Jongdae eat. He enjoyed watching the colour come back to his cheeks as he ate the warm noodle soup. It's been a while since Jongdae had a good enough appetite to eat like this. The appendicitis, on top of everything else, must have dulled his appetite.

Jongdae was enjoying his meal when he realised Minseok was watching him instead of eating. He eyed his friend's jjangjangmyeon. "If you don't want that I can…"

"No." Minseok quickly put his arm around his bowl protectively. "This is mine and it's too oily for you."

Jongdae pouted, "If you were a good brother you wouldn't eat that in front of me."

Minseok grinned and then shovel in a mouthful, slurping in up loudly. "Mmmm…so good."

Jongdae narrowed his eyes at him. "Meanie!"

"Saranghae." Minseok returned, cheekily.

"How are you older than me?" Jongdae complained with a smile. He was so thankful for Minseok staying by his side. He went back to his meal, which was the best he had in days. He finished the bowl and laid back, feeling satisfied. He smiled as Minseok slurped up the last of his black bean noodles.

"Oh!" Minseok sat back with his hands on his tummy. "That was sooo good."

Jongdae chuckled at his eldest brother, who often acted like the youngest. "Thank you, hyung." He said seriously. Minseok smiled at him. "I've been feeling so trapped these days. If it wasn't for you being with me the whole way through, I think I would've lost my mind."

Minseok ruffled his hair. "I will always be here for you. Don't forget that." Jongdae nodded, feeling tears come to his eyes. "All you have to do is get better. Don't think about anything else. Let us take care of you for once." He helped Jongdae lower his bed so he could sleep more comfortably. "Go to sleep. I'll be right here."

* * *

 **Two days later…**

Minseok kept a light hand on Jongdae's arm as he walked up the stairs of their apartment. Despite their need to take care of Jongdae, the others had kept their distance, limiting their visits to half an hour and only a couple of times a day. Minseok stayed almost the entire time. He even showered at the hospital.

"Jongdae." Junmyeon greeted when he reached their living room. "How are you feeling?"

Jongdae smiled at his leader, "Much better."

"Baekhyun changed your bed sheets and pillow case this morning before he left for the radio interview."

Jongdae chuckled, "He didn't have to do that." They lead him up to his and Minseok's room. "Where are the others?"

"They have their separate radio interviews today." Junmyeon told him. "They wanted to be here but with the news of you in hospital, all the stations wanted answers."

Jongdae winced, "Sorry." He couldn't help the apology even though he knew it wasn't his fault. "Did I cause more stress on our schedule?"

"Why are you apologising?" Minseok shook his head. "It's nothing we can't handle."

Jongdae sat on his bed, gently rubbing the side of the surgical site, "You all must be tired with the extra interviews and visiting me in the hospital."

Junmyeon sighed at Jongdae's concern, "Jongdae, we're fine. You're the one who needs to rest. Let us handle everything."

Jongdae smiled sadly, "Sure. Thanks."

Junmyeon could see that Jongdae wasn't himself. He was trying to act like nothing was wrong but everything was wrong. He was always honest with his feelings. It wasn't good for him to keep his feelings to himself. Junmyeon wondered if he should force Jongdae to express himself; make him angry. It wasn't a good idea. Jongdae was likely to bust a stitch if he got angry. "Are you hungry?" The leader opted for the more sensible choice; change the subject. "Kyungsoo made some bean soup last night. I'll heat some up for you." Jongdae nodded in relief. Junmyeon turned to Minseok, "Why don't we let Jongdae rest? Help me make some rice."

Minseok looked at Jongdae who nodded for him to leave. He reluctantly agreed and left the room with Junmyeon. Jongdae gave a long sigh after the door closed. He closed his eyes and laid back on the bed. Youngjun came to the hospital one night and asked to speak to Jongdae alone. The chance to sing with Punk was gone for good. Jongdae tried not to look disappointed. He had already turned it down. Somehow, he still felt a pang in his chest at the news. His chance was lost to him. He hated himself for feeling resentful. He was never a resentful person but he couldn't stop this feeling from rising in him. Each time he saw one of the other members, the feeling would grow a little more. He loved his friends, so he didn't understand why it was so hard for him to let this go. Jongdae never liked being away from the group anyway. He always felt alone and got bored easily. Three months away from them was too long. "It's better this way." Jongdae told himself before grabbing his iPod and putting on the earphones.

* * *

Minseok prepared the rice while Junmyeon re-heated the bean soup. They were silent at first. It wasn't that Minseok was still angry with them. It was the opposite. He felt bad for the way he treated them. "Junmyeon." Minseok broke the silence.

"Hmmm?" Junmyeon looked at him, curiously.

"I'm sorry. I was really harsh on all of you."

Junmyeon chuckled and shook his head at the eldest member. "You really are a pushover, you know?"

Minseok gave him a dirty look, "I take my apology back."

"You had every right to be angry with us." Junmyeon sighed as he stirred the soup. "Every time I think about the Punk deal, my stomach twists in knots."

"Me too." Minseok sighed loudly, "He won't talk to me about it."

"Has he said anything?"

"Only that he never wants us to mention it again."

"Aigoo!" Junmyeon cursed, "He can't keep it bottled up."

"He's going to try because he doesn't want to blame us." Minseok knew his little brother too well. "Do you think we should call a meeting?"

Junmyeon nodded, "But not until next week. I don't want him to rip his stitches trying to kill us."

Minseok chuckled, "I can't imagine our Chennie doing that."

* * *

The next day, Jongdae slowly made his way up the steps to the rooftop. He would be on his own for a few hours before Chanyeol and Baekhyun returned from their commitments. Minseok gave him their schedule before he left this morning. He wanted to stay to take care of Jongdae but the photo shoot with the face cream company was set weeks ago. Jongdae wished it was Minseok who would be coming home first. He didn't want to be in the apartment with only Chanyeol and Baekhyun. He could still hear their voices from that night. Their opinion about him were the loudest. They didn't trust him. That's what he heard.

Jongdae sat gingerly on the outdoor lounge, careful of his surgery site. The wound was sorer today than it was yesterday. His hand gently rubbed over the bandage, hoping to rub away the throbbing there. It didn't work, so he pulled out his pain meds and washed it down with the glass of milk he brought up with him. Minseok made him promise to take his meds with food. Milk was the other alternative. Jongdae hated taking his meds. It made him drowsy. But then, maybe it was a good thing. If he fell asleep, he could avoid talking to Chanyeol and Baekhyun. Jongdae hated himself for being a coward. He didn't understand why he couldn't stand by his own philosophy this time. The reason why he refused to talk about the deal, even to Minseok, was because he didn't trust himself. He was scared he would lose control and blame his friends. He was scared he wouldn't be able to stop himself. He was scared he would lose his friends. He gave up this deal for them. How stupid would he be if he let his anger cause him to lose his friends? Jongdae growled in frustration, closing his eyes. The same thoughts always went through his mind when he was alone. He hated himself for them.

* * *

Baekhyun and Chanyeol walked into the apartment quietly. They weren't sure what they should do. Jongdae has barely said a word to any of them since he got back home. "What do we do?" Chanyeol whispered as they looked up the steps to Jongdae and Minseok's room. "I don't think he wants to see us."

Baekhyun sighed and elbowed Chanyeol lightly, "We promised Minseok hyung we would check on him."

"We also promised him we wouldn't get him worked up." Chanyeol countered.

Baekhyun shoved him up the steps in front of him, "Go!"

* * *

Chanyeol winced as he turned the handle to Jongdae's room. In a quiet house, every noise sounded like his drum set. "Can you hurry up?" Baekhyun hissed.

"You do it!" Chanyeol hissed back as he pushed the door open a crack. He frowned and pushed it open a little more. "He's not here." He said, pushing the rest of the way. The blanket was folded neatly at the end of the bed. "Where could he be?"

Baekhyun looked up, "Where else would he be?" It was the place they all went to think. "Come on." This time he led the way.

* * *

Baekhyun smiled at his sleeping friend. Jongdae always looked so peaceful when he slept. He laid across the couch on his left side, with his arm folded under his head as a pillow. Baekhyun took off his jacket and laid it over the vocalist, then gently brushed Jongdae's fringe away from his eyes. "He must've taken his meds." Jongdae would've woken up otherwise.

"He looks a little pale." Chanyeol commented.

Baekhyun nodded, a little worried himself, "We'll keep an eye on him. At least until Minseok hyung gets back." They sat on the other lounge and pulled out their phones to keep themselves busy as they waited for Jongdae to wake up and the others to get back.

* * *

Half an hour later, Jongdae woke up at the discomfort at his side. He groaned as his hand went to the surgical site. He frowned at the jacket over him. "Hey." Came a soft call. Jongdae turned to the voice. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were sitting on the other couch nervously, "Are you okay?" Baekhyun worried about the discomfort he was seeing on Jongdae.

Jongdae silently pushed himself up, nodding. He pulled off the jacket and held it out to Baekhyun, "Thanks."

Baekhyun shook his head, "You should put it on. It's a little cool today. Minseok hyung would kill me if I let you get sick."

Jongdae gave a small smiled at the mention of his best friend, "Okay." He answered shyly as he put the jacket on. "Thanks." He said again.

"Are you hungry?" Chanyeol asked him, "Have you eaten anything? There's noodles left over from yesterday."

"I had some congee before I came up here." Jongdae told him. They fell into an uncomfortable silence after that.

Baekhyun wondered if he should take this opportunity to apologise for the way he reacted but Minseok and Junmyeon had warned him to be careful if he did. Jongdae didn't want to talk about it. He opted to leave it until Jongdae got his strength back.

"I'm sorry." Baekhyun's head spun at the apology from Chanyeol, then turned to Jongdae, wincing. He wasn't sure how Jongdae was going to react. "It's my fault you missed the opportunity to sing with Punk." Chanyeol continued.

Jongdae took a breath to control the anger that was building within him. "It's okay. It's passed already so let's forget about it."

"Jongdae…" Baekhyun reached out a hand to stop Chanyeol from saying any more but it was too late.

"I don't want to talk about it!" Jongdae said, a little louder than had wanted. He saw Chanyeol jolt at the volume and immediately felt bad for losing control. It was what he was afraid. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell." He got up at little too fast, grimacing at the pull at his side, "Can we forget about it? I don't want to think about it anymore." He made his way past the boys and headed back down to his room.

Baekhyun sighed, "Well, at least he didn't bust a stitch."

"This can't be good for him."

"It's not but it's better then him pulling his stitches. Let him suppress it all for now. Once the doctor clears him for practice, we can apologise properly then." Baekhyun sighed. Why did Junmyeon and Minseok warn him but not Chanyeol?

* * *

They followed Jongdae until the vocalist entered his room. Jongdae was about to close the door when Baekhyun put a hand on it to stop him. "I promised Minseok hyung I'd watch you until he got home, remember?" Jongdae just nodded tired. He picked up his laptop from his desk and sat on his bed, putting on his earphones. Baekhyun turned to Chanyeol, "I'll watch him." Chanyeol gave Jongdae once last look before sighing and heading back to this room.

Baekhyun sat at Minseok's desk, turning on the eldest's computer to surf the internet. He didn't want Jongdae to get uncomfortable with him in the room so he made himself busy to put Jongdae at ease. He didn't know if it was working. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Jongdae rubbing his surgical site. As much as he wanted to respect Jongdae and leave him alone, he didn't want to risk Jongdae doing damage to the wound.

* * *

Jongdae tried to ignore Baekhyun as the fellow beagle stepped towards him. He followed him in his peripheral vision until Baekhyun was picking something up from his bedside table. "You should take these if your side is bothering you." Jongdae turned his head to see Baekhyun holding out two pills and a glass of water for him. He looked down at his own hand, as if only just realising he was rubbing his side. It was throbbing but he was concentrating so hard on trying to ignore Baekhyun's presence in his room that he forgot about it.

Jongdae took the pills and water, "Thanks." He whispered before popping the meds into his mouth and washing them down.

Baekhyun frowned at Jongdae's flushed cheeks. He reached out to feel his brow but Jongdae flinched, hissing at the jolt to his side. "Sorry." Baekhyun took the glass off Jongdae and sat on the edge of the bed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

Jongdae shook his head, "Not your fault. I was in my own world." He wished Minseok hyung didn't tell Baekhyun to watch over him but he knew even if he didn't, Baekhyun would still be here. Whether it was out of guilt or because it's what they always did for each other, he didn't know but he which ever way, someone would be at his side.

"How bad does it hurt?" Baekhyun nodded at his side.

"It's not too bad." Jongdae told him, "It's more uncomfortable than anything else."

Baekhyun accepted the answer, "Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks." Jongdae answered simply before turning back to his laptop and immerging himself into whatever it was on his screen.

Baekhyun returned to the desk. Both beagles found their screens very interesting.

* * *

Baekhyun relayed his concern about Jongdae to Minseok once the eldest arrived home. He was home later than he had expected because the company wanted him to do another interview in place of Jongdae. "He looks like he's developing a fever but I'm not sure." Minseok thanked and reassured him that he would keep a close eye on Jongdae. When he walked into their room, Jongdae was sleeping. Baekhyun was right, Jongdae's cheeks were flushed but when he felt his forehead, it was only slightly warm. He decided to give Jongdae another hour or two to see if the low grade fever went away on its own.

Minseok fell asleep in the chair next to Jongdae, with his feet, crossed at the ankle, on Jongdae's bed. The tossing on the bed woke him up. "Jongdae." He turned on the bedside lamp and sat next to his restless friend on the bed. "Jongdae." He called again, frowning at the sweat beading across his brow. It didn't take a doctor to know that Jongdae was running a high fever. "Jongdae, wake up!" He called louder.

Jongdae groaned at the loud voice. He opened his eyes and found Minseok looking at him with concern. "Hyung." He could barely get out that small word. It was hot in the room, to the point of sweating. "Why did you turn on the heat?"

"I didn't." Minseok rushed outside and called out. "Junmyeon! Call the manager and tell him I'm taking Jongdae back to the hospital."

Chanyeol was the first one out of his room. The word hospital was enough to wake him up fully. "What's wrong?" He asked unnecessarily as Minseok lifted Jongdae into a sitting position. "Why is he worse all of sudden?"

"I don't know. Go start the van." Minseok ordered. Chanyeol nodded and ran to get his jacket and the keys. "Let's get you to the hospital." He pulled Jongdae's arm across his shoulder and pulled him to his feet. Baekhyun got their just in time to take up the other side before Jongdae could collapse.

"What happened?"

"You were right. There's definitely something wrong." Minseok worried at how quickly Jongdae took a turn for the worse. "I should've sent him back to the hospital earlier."

"Jongdae would've kicked and screamed if you did." Baekhyun reasoned as the two walked the semi-conscious vocalist down to the car.

* * *

Baekhyun covered Jongdae with his jacket in the car and stayed at his side, while Chanyeol drove them to the hospital. He didn't care that he wasn't in a seat with a seatbelt on. Staying by Jongdae's side was a higher priority.

Jongdae groaned when the van bumped as it left the garage. His hand moved over his surgical site. Baekhyun frowned as he gently moved Jongdae's hand, keeping an eye on him to see if Jongdae would protest. He pulled up the shirt and hissed at the inflamed area. He turned to Minseok who gasped as well when he saw it. "What is it?" Junmyeon asked from the seat behind.

"Looks like it's infected."

Kyungsoo let out an exasperated sigh, "Give him a break!" He yelled out, uncharacteristically.

"Calm down. He'll be fine once we get him to the hospital." Junmyeon admonished him.

"You don't know that!" Kyungsoo was tired and frustrated. They've gotten nowhere with Jongdae in the past few days because no one dared to breach the subject of Punk. "We know the hospital isn't going to help him." He said, softening his voice when Jongdae groaned again.

Jongdae opened his eyes, looking at Baekhyun lethargically, "Why is it so hot?" He frowned at the window. "Where are we going?" He was delirious with the high fever.

"Hospital." Baekhyun wiped away the sweat running down Jongdae's temple and forehead.

Jongdae shook his head, pushing away Baekhyun's hand, "I don't need to go. The doctor let me out already." He whined like a ten-year-old.

Baekhyun sighed as he gently took Jongdae by the wrists and held them down. "There seems to be a problem." He spoke to Jongdae as if he was speaking to a child. "The doctor needs to look at you and then we can take you home again."

Jongdae pouted. He didn't want to go to the hospital but Baekhyun had a way with the members. He was one of the cheekiest but he was also very caring, knowing when to be serious and when he can have fun. When Baekhyun spoke in this gentle, caring voice, it was hard not to listen. "Promise?" Jongdae blinked owlishly at Baekhyun, making him laugh.

"Promise."

Jongdae narrowed his eyes at him, "If we're in the car…why don't you have your seatbelt on?"

Despite the situation, they couldn't help but chuckle at their Chen fairy. It didn't matter where they were or what time it was, he was always looking out for them. Minseok reached over and slapped Baekhyun on the back. "Get in a seat, Baekhyun, before he makes you." Baekhyun nodded, smiling at Jongdae, who had his eyes closed again. As soon as Baekhyun sat in his seat next to Junmyeon, the atmosphere changed again. The car went quiet.

* * *

Jongdae sat in the hospital bed…again, surrounded by his friends, minus Yixing, Jongin and Sehun, who stayed home because they were trying to keep this as quiet as possible. Another admission to the hospital would be a nightmare for the publicity manager. They've been here for over four hours now, waiting for the doctor to clear Jongdae after he drained his surgical site of an abscess that had formed. They were glad the fever wasn't caused by anything more serious but waiting to ensure he was clear of the infection, was long and tiring.

Jongdae looked at the clock. It was five in the morning. His friends were sleeping around the room. They were exhausted because of him. It made him feel warm but it also made him feel guilty. He'd been treating them coldly since he woke up but they've taken care of him despite his attitude towards them. He smiled. What's an opportunity to sing with Punk compared to this? He had always wanted to make himself known as the artist, Kim Jongdae, but even if he did achieve this, his biggest achievement will always be EXO. If he could do this until he had to enlist and then return to singing, he'd be happy. He didn't need to go to the U.S.A to fulfil his dream because he knew he was already living it. What more could he ask for? He was doing what he loved with people he loved.

Jongdae sat up when the room door opened. "Doctor?" He whispered, silently asking the doctor not to wake his friends.

Dr Park smiled and nodded. "I have your blood work here. The infection is cleared so I'm going to discharge you now." Jongdae smiled, relieved. He'd spent too much time in the hospital. "I'll have the nurse give you a package to bring home. You'll need to change that bandage every day and swab the site with alcohol." Jongdae nodded his thanks. Then the doctor said very sternly, "I don't want to see you here again."

The vocalist grinned. "Thank you." Jongdae dipped his head to the doctor as he left. He closed his eyes, feeling relaxed and light suddenly. Finally, he had come to terms with all that had happened. It wasn't the end of the world. He just needed his friends to remind him of what he treasured most in his life. Jongdae yawned. He'd been watching his friends sleep since he came out of the small surgery. It would be another day of interviews and practice for them. They needed as much sleep as they could get. Jongdae closed his eyes and let himself drift off.

It felt like he had been sleeping for one minute when a loud song jolted him awake. "Sssss…" He hissed at the pain in his side. "Aahhh…" He groaned at being woken up in such a painful way. "Don't you know you shouldn't have your phone on in a hospital?" His eyes were barely open but he could hear the chuckles around the room. "It's about time you all woke up. Been waiting for someone to take me home." He rubbed his eyes and pushed himself up. Chanyeol rushed over from the couch to help him before sitting on the bed next to him. "Thanks." They were all looking at him with confused expressions. "What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"What do you mean you've been waiting for us?" Minseok asked.

Jongdae shrugged, "Dr Park discharged me about an hour ago."

Kyungsoo's eyes widened, "Why didn't you wake us then?"

Jongdae shrugged again, "You needed the sleep."

Junmyeon got off the phone. It was his phone that had woken him up. "Hyunkyun manager is coming to pick us up with a change of clothes. He'll drop Kyungsoo and me at Naver and the rest of you at the studio before he drives Jongdae home."

Jongdae frowned, not liking the sound of the arrangement. "Who's going to be home with me today?" Baekhyun looked at him curiously. Jongdae had wanted to be left alone for the past few days. Now, he sounded like he wanted them with him. "What?" Jongdae tried to look casual, like he didn't care if there was someone home or not.

"We're all practicing today. Junmyeon hyung and Kyungsoo will join us after their interview." Baekhyun teased him. Something changed while they were sleeping. "I'm sure Hyunkyun hyung will stay with you."

Jongdae pouted, "That's not fair! I'm sick and none of you care!" He whined, no longer pretending to look indifferent.

Minseok looked amused, "What's wrong with you? You like being alone."

"Not when I'm not allowed to do whatever I want. It defeats the purpose of being alone." Jongdae dropped his head on Chanyeol's shoulder. "I'm going to die from boredom."

Chanyeol laughed and threw his arm around his friend. It's been a while since he could do this, "When did you become such a baby?" Jongdae shoved him off his bed. "Aye!" Then looked worried when Jongdae rubbed his side. "Be careful. You had two surgeries there."

"Then don't tease me." Jongdae warned and then let out a long breath. "Can't I come with you to the studio?"

Junmyeon shook his head. He turned serious. "You came in here with a fever of 39 degrees. I'm shocked you're sitting up right now."

"I feel fine. Just a little sore." Jongdae assured him. "It was the abscess. Dr Park drained it. He said I'll be fine as long as I change the bandages every day."

"Resting at home is better for you."

"Resting at home will drive me crazy and then I'll drive Hyunkyun hyung crazy and then he will go crazy and do whatever I want to shut me up." Jongdae shrugged, "I'll end up at the studio eventually." The team stared at him with their mouths open as they tried to follow Jongdae's train of thought. "What? It's true."

Minseok shook his head, "What am I going to do with you?"

Jongdae grinned, hopefully, "Take me to the studio?""

"It was a rhetorical question!" Minseok growled making the others laugh. He rolled his eyes as he sensed what was about to happen. "Are you serious, Junmyeon?"

The leader shrugged, "His reasoning is sound. I have no doubt he will do what he said he'd do. By then, he would probably exhaust himself. At least at the studio, we can keep an eye on him." _Anyway, I've missed having him there._ He added silently to himself.

"See?" Jongdae smiled, "I knew there was a reason why they made you leader."

Kyungsoo watched the exchange between his friends, curiously. What happened to have caused such a drastic change in Jongdae? He let it go because he didn't want to ruin the mood. It was high right now and Jongdae hasn't been this happy in a long time.

* * *

Jongdae sat on the couch in the studio, watching the team practice. It would've been nice to join in but if he even dared to ask, Junmyeon would send him home straight away. After a while, he could feel his body giving in to his lack of sleep.

Baekhyun smiled as he watched Jongdae from the corner of his eye. He could see the man was falling asleep. He waited until Jongdae was completely asleep before he asked to stop. "Sorry, just give me two minutes." He grabbed Yixing, who was next to him. "Help me lay him down." Yixing turned to Jongdae and smiled, seeing how peaceful Jongdae looked. Jongdae frowned when he was moved but didn't wake up. They made sure to lay him on his left side. As soon as he was lying across the couch, Jongdae curled up and fell into a deeper sleep. "I don't know why he didn't just rest at home." Yixing grabbed his jacket, which was thrown over his gym bag and used it to cover Jongdae. "It's got to be cold in here for him. We have the air-con on full-blast."

"You didn't see him in the hospital. There is no way you could resist him." Junmyeon defended his decision.

"Junmyeon's right. He pouted and we all gave in." Minseok chuckled.

Their choreographer saw how much the team worried over their friend and he had to admit, he was worried about Jongdae being here as well. He liked the kid. He liked them all. They were a great bunch of boys. "Why don't we practice the song through one last time and then you can take the rest of the day?" The boys looked at him as if he had grown a head. "What? Today is the first time I've seen you all resembling normalcy but you're still distracted by Jongdae. Go home, take care of him and then come back tomorrow, fresh and ready for a gruelling day."

Chanyeol narrowed his eyes at the choreographer. "I knew you had a soft spot for Jongdae. You wouldn't let us off so easily if it was anyone else." The teacher shrugged. "You're not even going to deny that."

Again, the choreographer just shrugged and started the song for their last practice of the day. "Get in formation. Let's go."

* * *

Minseok winced as he pulled off the bandage over Jongdae's surgical site. The stitches were neat but it was still confront to see. Jongdae was sitting on the couch with his right arm above his head and his left hand holding up his shirt to give Minseok access to the wound. Jongdae tried not to react to Minseok ministrations but the alcohol was cold and the wound was still tender.

The others sat around the room, quietly watching their eldest work gently to ensure Jongdae's wound didn't get infected again. "Does it hurt, hyung?" Sehun asked softly from opposite Jongdae.

Jongdae smiled at him and shook his head, "It's okay." He bit his lip when Minseok pressed a little hard on the wound. Minseok looked up at him when he felt Jongdae flinch, "I'm fine." Jongdae reassured his brother. Minseok quickly finished off and applied a new bandage.

"All done." Minseok grinned at his best friend as the put everything back into the medicine box.

"Thanks, hyung." Jongdae pulled his shirt down and closed his eyes. He couldn't wait until his energy level returns to normal and he didn't have to take his meds.

"Jongin," Junmyeon called, "Put on a movie." He could see Jongdae fighting sleep. Jongin nodded and chose a quiet movie that Jongdae would like but wouldn't keep him awake for long. Junmyeon picked up the doona they had grabbed from Jongdae's room. "Lie down." He ordered the vocalist. Jongdae did as he was told, sighing contently as his head touched the pillow. Minseok helped Junmyeon cover Jongdae with the doona. Baekhyun dimmed the lights. They all knew what Junmyeon wanted. Jongdae planned to fight the sleep as long as he could and hence they needed to keep the room dark and quiet so that Jongdae could drift off. He already managed to convince his best friend and leader to let him sleep downstairs. They weren't going to let him stay up as well. Jongdae snuggled under the doona. They were about half an hour into the movie when Jongdae started drifting off. Minseok sat on the floor, at Jongdae's head and smiled at his best friend when he mumbled something about not wanting to go to bed. "How are you such a baby when you're sick?" He whispered, brushing aside his hair.

"Minseok…" Junmyeon reached for the remote and turned off the movie, making everyone sit up. They knew the look Junmyeon had. He wanted to have a serious talk with all of them. "Has Jongdae said anything more to you about the offer?"

Minseok shook his head, "But he's put it behind him so I think we should too." He whispered as he smiled affectionately at his sleeping friend.

"It's like he had an epiphany and everything was normal again." Kyungsoo was still curious about what made such a big change in Jongdae.

"Yeah, something happened while we were sleeping." Baekhyun wondered.

"Does he still have the demo?" Junmyeon asked Minseok.

Minseok shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe. I can check."

"What are you thinking, Hyung?" Chanyeol asked.

Junmyeon shook his head, "I don't know but I don't want Jongdae to miss this chance without trying to do something."

Yixing was curious, "What can we do that Youngjun hyung can't?"

Junmyeon shrugged, "Probably nothing but Jongdae's our brother. I don't want any regrets. Jongdae lost this chance because he put us first. I want him to know that what he wants is just as important to us."

The team still didn't know what Junmyeon had planned but they were going to help him because he was right. More than any of them, Jongdae has always put music above anything else. He loved singing. Unlike the others, who have started branching out into other parts of the industry, Jongdae stayed in music and if he could sing until his last breath, then he would be happy with his life.

Minseok nodded. He remembered Jongdae's words that night; _It was stupid to think my friends would support me._ "I want him to know he has our support no matter what. He was disappointed with us. We've always been supportive but that day, we let him down." He got up quietly, "I'll see if the demo is still in the room."

Jongdae's brow furrowed as if sensing his friend leaving his side. Baekhyun immediately got up and sat down in Minseok's spot. He gently combed his fingers through Jongdae's hair. He'd seen Minseok do this when Jongdae was sick and it always calmed his friend. He smiled when Jongdae's expression relaxed. "I'm worried about him. I know, somehow, he's managed to forgive us but is it really resolved when he hasn't spoken to us about it at all?" He let out a long sigh, "I don't want him to have any regrets."

"Baekhyun," Yixing worried about the mood-maker, "I know you feel bad about it all, but if Jongdae has overcome this, then you need to too."

"I'm with Baekhyun." Chanyeol spoke up. He'd been feeling the worse out of all of them because he believed his outburst caused it all. "He came to us for our opinion and all we did was show him that we didn't trust him. It's not something someone can get over so easily."

Jongdae's sleep was interrupted by voices around him. At first, he let the sound of his friends' voices lull him into a deeper sleep but the tone started changing. His friends weren't happy. Something was bothering them. He could hear it in their voices and he never liked it when anyone of them were sad. Then he heard Chanyeol's voice and the guilt there was clear. He forced himself to open his eyes.

Minseok was coming back down the stairs with the USB when he saw Jongdae waking up. He quickly slipped the thumb drive into his pocket. "Why are you awake?" He heard Baekhyun ask.

"Why do you think?" Minseok shook his head at them. "I'm gone for two minutes and you wake him up."

Jongdae grinned sleepily at his best friend, "It's okay, hyung."

"I'm sorry, Jongdae. I really need to learn to shut up." Baekhyun smiled at Jongdae's expression. He was tired but still looked content. He shook his head in awe. "How are you so okay?" Kyungsoo sat forward at the question. He'd been quietly listening to everyone but now he was really curious. Finally, he was going to get an answer.

Jongdae winced as he tried to push himself up. Minseok helped him from one side while Baekhyun supported him from the other. "Thanks." He sat between Minseok and Baekhyun looking at each member of his family. He sighed as they all looked at him, confused and fascinated at the same time. "I love singing more than anything in this world." They nodded. They all felt the same way. That's why they were here. "Ever since I was a kid, I loved singing. Being a trainee in SM was a dream come true. Debuting was a dream come true…" He smiled at them with tears in his eyes, "But debuting with all of you was beyond anything I could've imagined."

Minseok leaned over and laid his head on Jongdae's shoulder, "Saranghae." They all smiled at him. It has been one long dream since they stepped on that stage.

"I missed an opportunity and yes, I'm disappointed but that opportunity doesn't compare to what I have here with all of you. Punk's offer almost made me forget that I have everything I need, right here in this room." He smiled at the memory of all of them sleeping around the hospital room. "You've been at my side even when I didn't want you to. You stayed with me at the hospital even though you were all dead on your feet. You're my family. If this is as far as my singing career gets, it's okay because it's more than I dreamed of. My life is perfect because of you."

Kyungsoo grinned, "You really are an amazing person."

"You let us off too easily, Jongdae." Chanyeol shook his head at how generous his friend was.

Jongdae shook his head, "When I first heard the song I was too angry and confused to hear its true meaning." Everyone sat forward, curious as to what the song was about. "It's call 'Opportunity', but when you listen to the lyrics, it's about regret. It's about a man who isn't satisfied with where he is. He sees others surpass his fame and he regrets the choices he's made in the past. He keeps thinking about the 'what ifs' in his life and never stopped to think about what he had." Jongdae carefully wrapped his arms around Baekhyun and Minseok. "I don't want to be that man. I know how lucky I am to have all of you in my life. No matter what happens, I have no regrets."

Junmyeon smiled. He could see the team healing now. "We're the lucky ones. I don't know of many idol groups that could survive something like this and it's thanks to you. You had every right to take the offer and leave us to come to terms with it."

Jongdae shook his head, "This family has been through enough. No one has the right to put any of us through that again."

Junmyeon knew there was no point arguing. They felt guilty but no matter what they said, Jongdae would find a way to refute it. "Well then, at least accept our apology. We were wrong to react the way we did. You're right. We're a family. You deserved better from us." Jongdae smiled and nodded. They all sighed in relief at being able to talk about it all and get Jongdae to voice everything he was feeling. At least, his feelings were no longer kept inside. "Good. Now, get back to sleep."

Jongdae chuckled, then shook his head pouting. "I don't want to." He was tired but it's not often he could act like their maknae. He liked being taken care of and he tended to make the most of it when he was sick.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, "What do you want?" He couldn't help but grin at the cheeky look on Jongdae's face.

"Hot chocolate."

The team knew that whatever Jongdae asked for in the next few day, he would get. "I'll get it." Sehun got up, smiling as he passed Jongdae.

"Thanks, Sehunnie."

* * *

The team spoke softly to each other. They weren't talking about anything in particular. They didn't want to start any stimulating conversations because they wanted Jongdae to fall asleep. It didn't take long. Jongdae started drifting off not long after he finished off his hot chocolate but the vocalist was like a stubborn little boy trying to fight sleep. He finally fell into a deep sleep with his head pillowed on Minseok's lap. Minseok waited another ten minutes before he carefully reached into his pocket and pulled out the usb. "This is the demo." He whispered, handing it to Baekhyun, who was sitting closest to him on the floor.

Chanyeol turned on his laptop and plugged in two earphones, allowing four of them to listen at the same time. They couldn't help the tears in their eyes as they listened to the slow rap and vocals. They could see why Jongdae was chosen for the song. His sweet, soft voice was perfect for song. Baekhyun wanted so much for Jongdae to sing this song but what could they do.

"Yixing." Junmyeon called softly to their composer. "Chanyeol." He got the rapper's attention as well. "Do you think you can arrange this song so that we can sing it as a group."

Yixing's eyes widened, "It's not our song."

Junmyeon rolled his eyes, "I'm not going to distribute it. This song is in English. I want to send back a Korean version of the song with our arrangement. It's a long shot but if Jongdae can't sing it with Punk then maybe we can sing it with him." He shrugged, "It's not the same thing but I want to do this for him." He smiled at how content Jongdae looked in his sleep. "He deserves this song."

Chanyeol nodded determinedly and then looked over to Yixing. Yixing smiled, "Let's do it."

* * *

 **Two weeks later…**

Jongdae sat in the conference room with his friends and managers. He was very confused. Everyone looked excited and he didn't know why. He never liked being left out. What made it worse, was that nobody was saying anything. They were all anxiously staring at the phone, including Youngjun.

Jongdae glared at the phone. "It's just a phone! What's the big…" They all jumped when it rang. Youngjun reached over and pressed the speaker button.

"Yeobeosaeyo!" Youngjun answered, "Hello Mr Punk."

Jongdae's eyes widened. He turned to Junmyeon. His leader reached over and squeezed his shoulder, keeping him calm and telling him to wait.

"Mr Tak, please it's just Punk. Are the boys there?"

"Yes, they are. I will translate for you." Youngjun told him.

"Thank you. Boys, I listened to your arrangement of my song…" Jongdae frowned. _Arrangement?_ The whole team looked nervous. "And I love it!" A collective sound of relief and cheers sounded around the room. There were high-fives and hugs. The managers called for them to calm down so that Punk could continue. They could hear the man laughing. "I would love for you to release the Korean version of the song in that exact arrangement. You boys are brave for doing that but I love it. I will release the American version."

"Thank you!" Junmyeon called out.

"You're welcome. Is Chen there?"

Jongdae sat up straight, as if caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Ne."

"I heard you turned down the offer to sing with me. Am I that hard to work with?" Youngjun laughed as he translated.

"Aniyeo!" Jongdae's eyes widened in a panic. "I was honoured! I…um…I wanted…" He scratched his head, not knowing how to explain it without hurting his friends.

Punk laughed, "I'm just messy with you, man. Mr Tak explained to me what happened. It's my loss but I think this new arrangement will be even better."

Jongdae sagged in relief. The phone call ended but he still didn't understand what happened. "What arrangement is he talking about?"

Youngjun opened his laptop and played the song on it. Jongdae listened to the Korean version of the song with Chanyeol and Sehun rapping. The tempo was slightly faster than the original to suit their style. Jongdae couldn't believe what he was hearing. "When did you do this?"

"During our practices when you weren't there." Baekhyun told him, "It was Junmyeon's idea."

Jongdae turned to Junmyeon, "I didn't want you to completely lose this opportunity. I thought it was a long shot but I needed to do something."

Jongdae leaned over and hugged his leader, "It's perfect." It's exactly what he wanted; this song sung with his friends. Tears came to his eyes, "I don't know what else to say. It's better than singing with Punk. Gomaseubnida, hyung!" The team surrounded the two in a big hug.

"Well, you heard Punk." Youngjun stood after the small celebration, "Go practice the song. You'll be recording tomorrow." He grinned at the antics of the group as they shoved each other out the door.

"This is a Punk song!" Sehun danced his way out.

"I can't wait for the choreography!" Kai crowed.

* * *

Jongdae felt tears come to his eyes as he watched his friends laughing and singing their new song. Jongdae loved singing but it didn't compare to the love he had for this family. Minseok nudged him when he noticed Jongdae just looking around the room. "What are you thinking about?"

Jongdae smiled at him, "I don't think I ever want to do this without you all. How can any solo career compare to what we have?" He was still in awe of what they did for him to get his song.

Junmyeon caught that last part and walked over to them. The others saw him and followed. They sat around Jongdae. "No matter what any of us choose to do in the future; whether it be acting, singing or hosting, just remember one thing; we're a family." He wrapped his arm around Jongdae and pulled everyone closer until they were all huddled in a group hug, "And families always stick together."

"We are one." Jongdae smiled.

"Ne! WE ARE ONE!" They echoed.

The END


End file.
